Tuesday, May 26, 2009

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Despite being home alone for much of the holiday weekend, I managed to keep myself out of trouble. I got a lot done at home, and even had some fun by myself. On Saturday, I stamped. I make cards - birthday cards, get well cards, sympathy cards - all kinds of cards, using rubber stamps and assorted supplies. I love doing it, I think because it makes me feel all creative and artistic, even though I can barely draw stick figures.

I made 20 cards on Saturday, which is a new record for me. Here's what they look like:




Here's a close up of a couple of them:






So, since I have all these cards, and I'm dying to get rid of some of them, I thought I'd hold a contest and give some to the lucky winner. But - what kind of contest should I have? I like to have contests that benefit me, even if it's only to amuse myself. Also, I'm always looking for material to blog about, so maybe the contest requirements should address this issue. After much consideration, I've come up with this:

Mary Ellen's Blogtastic Contest For May

The Rules: Ask me something. Leave me a comment with a question in it. Go ahead, ask me something wild. You don't scare me (well, maybe a little). Maybe you're dying to know what my favorite book/movie/TV show is. Maybe you want to know about something to do with my adoption and search for my birthparents. Perhaps you'd like to know what kind of an animal I'd be or why I'm obsessed with serial killers, polygamists and the Sham Wow Guy.

The best question wins. Enter as many times as you like, through Friday. If there are tons of awesome questions, and I can't choose just one, I'll put the names in a hat and pick one that way. Or I'll give out a couple of packets of cards. Whatever. Hopefully, some or all of the questions will become part of a future post. I will probably answer them all eventually, unless somebody asks me something too personal, like what size underwear I wear or something, in which case I'll just ignore it. I mean, nobody needs to know that, right? There's something to be said for maintaining a little mystery.

Winner will receive a packet of lovely homemade cards. If you're not into cards or homemade stuff (Hallie!) please enter anyway, and if you win, you can designate another recipient for the prize. After all, this contest is about saving me from having to think up stuff to write about - um, no - what I meant was that it's all about having fun. Oh, and Andy? They're really colorful.

So there it is. I know my brilliant readers will come up with something. After all, I'm always saying that my commenters are infinitely wittier than I ever am. Now's your chance to prove it.

34 comments:

Joanie said...

I just love the cards you sent to me!

joanne said...

Where do you get your stamps?? jj

Beautiful cards..yeah!!!

claudia said...

Who needs to be able to draw stick figures when you can cards as pretty as these? You are most talented!

Eternal Lizdom said...

Those are fantastic!!

Here's my questions:

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

What's a typical day like in the life of M.E.?

How's the play going? What show is it and what is your role?

Corrine said...

I WANT THE CARDS, ME!!!

Here is one question from me:
If you were to morph into a canine, what breed would you be, and why?

I would be a Shih Tzu. Pretty hair and ribbons. A real posh pup!

Unknown said...

If you were a color...

Just kidding.

Um...let's see...thinking out loud here...um...

Okay!

you're on an uncharted desert isle. Alone except for your Favorite Novelist of All Time.

Who is she/he?

And why?

And what would you talk about?

And where would you go pee? (They NEVER went on Gilligan's Island, did you notice? They had a fashion show for Ginger, and astronauts and robots show up but not toilets...)

c3 said...

Where have you traveled?

The cards look fantastic. Have you ever considered starting a business making custom cards?

What's the craziest thing you've ever cooked?

Do I have to do my questions in separate posts?

What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?

Have you ever been water skiing?

Have you ever been skydiving?

PS: I was completely serious about the cards. They're really cool.

Kim said...

I LOVE stamping cards. I used to make tons of cards, including all of my Christmas cards. Unfortunately, I have gotten away from it. Your cards are beautiful and I would love to win! So here's my question:

My toilet is clogged with, well, you know. It has been clogged since last night and I have plungered it repeatedly. Of course, my husband is out of town, so I can't have him fix it. Is there anything else I can try besides calling a plummer?

Caution/Lisa said...

As much as I WANT THOSE CARDS -EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, it will be tough to beat the Gilligan's Island question. I have always wondered about those shows and the lack of morning breath. Okay back to your question, what is the one thing you hope your neighbors never learn about you? My own answer would be my name. jk!!!

Abby Reed said...

haha, your cards are soooo adorable! you have major talent. i bet you could make a bunch of them, then sell them on etsy.com.... just an idea.

i LOVE serial killers and polygamists -- they facinate the crap outta me!

i don't have a question... YET! but i will be racking my brain trying to come up with a good one!

Evansmom said...

My question - why do driveup ATMs have braille on them? You could do several posts on things that make you go hmmmmm. Like why does a building burn down by going up in flames?

So my second question is: what things make ME go hmmmmmmm?

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Why do you get all upset when I remind you that you WILL have to sing at my funeral?

Hallie

Btw, I decided, after talking to you this morning, that it really wouldn't be fair of me to win your contest. It just wouldn't. So instead, I think you should just GIVE me one fantastic, made by you, design it however you'd like, card for Gayle's bday.

Get on it ASAP.

Not really an option. You must! :)

Laura ~Peach~ said...

ok i love the cards i wanna win!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL~
ok a question for you...
what is your fav color why?
whats your favorite smell why?
:)

Laura Marchant said...

What's the longest you have gone without changing your underwear, lol?

Christine said...

What three foods must be in your fridge and/or pantry at all times?

Mine would be orange juice, diet pepsi, and cheese, so I guess the question should be food or drink?

c3 said...

I thought of another one: What was the worst date you were ever on? Why was it so bad?

Corrine said...

question for today:

"what does pure happiness feel like to M.E? When was the last time you had that feeling?"

Corrine said...

Thongs, bikini's, or Grannies...

knittergran said...

Well, I'm not sure if this question is ok to ask. But in today's blog (Thursday) you asked for more questions, so here goes. My parents spelled my name weirdly (wrong, in my view) and when they had both died, I tried using my name spelled as it should have been spelled. My WHOLE life I had wanted my name spelled correctly. But when I tried it, it just wasn't right somehow.

So, my question: when you learned your birth name, were you tempted to try it out? If that's not appropriate, I apologize. But I have been curious about it.

I read that when parents give a girl an unorthodox spelling of a name, it's because they think a girl has less chance of succeeding in life than a boy does, so they try to make something about her unique. So of course I took that to mean they looked at cute little newborn me and said, "What a loser; we'd better do something to make her stand out." I can see the dark cloud around every silver lining, apparently.

Sorry for the long (and maybe inappropriate) response. Just delete it and pretend you don't know who the heck this poster is...

I'm a stamper/scrapbooker too, or at least I have been. I have all the tools and supplies, but I've never done anything as great as your cards. They're really cute!

c3 said...

In the last few years (5?), what single event most changed your life?

Alice said...

LOVE the cards! And if whoever wins wants to designate them to me...I will take them!!

Ok, my question...and I hope this isn't too personal, but you mention your sons quite often on the blog, but no husband/father. I assume you are now single (although some people don't mention their spouses on their blogs)...but I was just wandering if you raised your boys as a single mom or divorce/widowed later - when they were older.

And because I'm pregnant with my son......
1. How did you chose your sons' names?
2. What is the best part of a mother/son relationship? Hardest?
3. Any advice for raising a good, well-round boy??(Both yours seem to be great kids!)

PS--I put something especially for you on my blog!

Unknown said...

Loving the cards! OK for a question.... I actually have two for you...

Who are you? - (what would you like all of us to know about you..)

What is your biggest regret?
Hmmm....

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

Is there another word for synonym?

If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together?

How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?

If convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

If you are driving at the speed of light and you turn on your headlights, what happens?

Why are there flotation devices under airline seats instead of parachutes?

Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have?

Why is it that when you transport something by car it's called a shipment, but when you transport it by ship, it's called cargo?

Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?

Why don't sheep shrink in the rain?

What does Geronimo scream when he jumps out of a plane?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

If God sneezed, what would you say to him?

Why are there five syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?

Isn't is a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?

When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?

When you open a bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why is the word "abbreviation" so long?

Do fish get cramps after eating?

When two airplanes almost collide, why do they call it a near miss and not a near hit?

If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?

How is it possible to have a civil war?

How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Hallie

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?

Why do they put Braille on the number pads of drive-through bank machines?

When a cow laughs does milk come up its nose?

If nothing sticks to Teflon, how does Teflon stick to the pan?

If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?

What's another word for thesaurus?

Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?

What do they use to ship Styrofoam?

Why is there an expiration date on my sour cream container?

Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

When you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?

Does fuzzy logic tickle?

Why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?

If you shoot a mime, should you use a silencer?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink?

Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

24 hours in a day ... 24 beers in a case ... Coincidence?

In synchronized swimming, if the first drowns, do the rest follow?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts," and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?

Shouldn't a man who invests all your money be called something other than a broker?

When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

If 21 is pronounced twenty-one why isn't 11 pronounced onety-one?

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?

Why are they called buildings, when they're already finished?
Shouldn't they be called builts?

If all is not lost, where is it?

Why do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions?

Why is it that we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and yet leave useless junk in the garage?

Instead of putting pictures of criminals in the post office, why aren't they put on stamps so postman could look for them while they deliver the mail?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?

Why do we say something is out of whack? What's in whack?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?

Hallie

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

Why do 'tug' boats push their barges?

At ball games, why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we're already there?

Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?

Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead."?

If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

How much deeper would the ocean be if all the sponges didn't live there?

Why does the sun darken our skin but lighten our hair?

Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?

Why is it that when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open it's not adoor?

Why does an alarm clock go "off" when it actually goes "on?"

Can you buy an entire chess set in a pawn shop?

Why does mineral water, that has trickled down the mountains for centuries, go out of date next year?

Why are softballs so hard?

Is it possible to get insurance on insurance?

Who do you save when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

Hallie :)

Anonymous said...

If you were a ringtone - what song would you be?

Forget Corrine, give me the cards!! I'll even give you all my unused stamping stuff. The stuff I spent lots of money on but never have time to use. Can you see me stamping at the motocross track?
Did you all know M.E. also makes great gift tags? She's amazingly talented.

Carrie

Anonymous said...

M.E.
If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be? It doesn't have to be on a deserted island where there are no toilets.

Hallie~ Good questions. You're trying awefully hard for someone who is allergic to homemade stuff and knick knacks.

Carrie

c3 said...

If you could duplicate in yourself the talent of just one artist, who would it be?

MaBunny said...

Ok Mary Ellen, not sure what Hallie was doing, but she made me laugh till my jaw hurt with all her questions. I couldn't even read them out loud to my hubby I was laughing so hard!

My question isn't very creative, but still I don't know the answer -
what is your favorite comfort food and why?

those cards are gorgeous!

Staci said...

Here's my question:

If you had an "Indian"* name, what would it be, and why would you want to have that particular name?

(*Such as, Running Bear, etc.)

Corrine said...

Who is one actor you would have a torrid love affair with? BE HONEST, I won't tell.

Anonymous said...

What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Bad tv, book, food, whatever.

Mrs4444 said...

Assume that your fantasies came true and your mom showed up on your doorstep today. You invite her in and offer her a drink. Then you settle in. Assuming that she is open, what are the three most burning questions you would ask her?

Cupcake Blonde said...

I love the yellow and green ones with the daisy on the front. So cute.

I know I am late to this game but I still have a question:

If you could be one celebrity for a week, which one would it be?

And also the all important marry, screw, kill question. That one is always fun! Your three to choose from are Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and David Letterman (in honor of all the late show host switching going on lately)